Type-writer.



No 874,057. PATBNTEIJ DEQ 17, 1-907.-

H. L. FISHER.

TYPE WRITER.-

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2a, 1899. RENEWED JUNE 17. 1907.

' 2 SHEETSSHBE.T 1.

.7. 7Z'Urf 72 for gw/gww I'M 874,057. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907. H. L. FISHER. TYPE WRITER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1899. RENEWED JUNE 17. 1907.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY L. FISHER, OI WODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FISHER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

1i CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Speeifitiation of Letters Patent.

ITIYPE-WRIETER.

Patented'Dec. 1?, 1907.

Original application filed October 13.. 1898, Serial No. 693.442- Divided aid this application filed February 23. 1899. Serial he. 706.481,

' Renewed June 17, 1907. Serial No. 379.493.

chine as is nec To all whom it may cod'ern:

Be it known that I, HARvEY L. Fisuen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodstock, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-\Nriters, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of the application filed by rn'eon October 13, 1898, Serial .w 693, i411, and only so inuch of 1000111- plete machine shown in said prior applica tion will be'here illustrated and described. as maybe necessary for an explanation of the portion of my invention intended to be cov ered by the present application.

The invention relates to what are corn rnonly called visible Writing machines, in

which the matter writtenis visible to the op- 'erator letter by-letter as it proceeds, and it has for its object, 'lirst,.a novel and com act arrangement of the type-bars in front o the platen, in such position that when operated the types will strike upon the top oi the platen, and when in normal position 'not obstruct the o )crators view of the writin as itproceeds letter by letter, and second, the provision of novel and ciiicient supporting hearings for said type-bars; all as. will be' hereinafter more fully explained.

In the accompanying drawings l igure 1 is a top plan view.. of so much of my new niassary to illustrate the present invention; 2 a middle vertical section; Fig. 3 a top plan view ol' the bearing plates which support the typc-bars Fig. 4. a detail perspective view or"; one of said bearing plates; Fig. 5 'a sectional plan view of the same, showing thetransvcrse hores through which the type-bar axles pass; and Fig. (San enlarged sectional detail oil the same showing one of the type-bar axles and its hearings in said plate.

.l.he'sarne letters of reference are used to indicate likc'par'ts in the several views.

The main frame A of the machine is in the present instance of rectangular form in plan view, and providmlwith a forward extension B to acco nhimlatc tho key-board, as shown inJiig. 1.. V

The platen (El extending across the maohinc is mounted in a transversely movable paper carriage,- not shown, and is also capable of lmckward and forward movement; for

the printing ofIupper and lower case characi Secured to the main frarneof the machine .in front of the platen is a vertical'bracket plate D which is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined extension D constituting the sup ort for the bearing plates E in which the ax es of the type-bars' are journaled. The extension I) of the supporting 'plate I) is of skeleton form, or provided with vopenings between the. several bearing plates It, to atnzominodate the type-bars and the depending rods which connect them. with the. key-levers. The bearing plates E in the present instance are four. in number, and are securedto their support D by screws passed through them and entering said sup ort.

The type-bars F are secured at their lower ends to the inner ends of axles II which extend through and have their hearings in transverse bores inthe plates E, and are. op-

diurn of the rods K connected at their lower ends tosaid. key-levers and at their upper ends to rearwardly projecting ears J upon the lower ends 01 the type-bars. When the front end of any key-lever isdepressed the corresponding type-bar will be swung rearward and downward and. the ty )e carried by its outer end caused to strike the upper forward sideof the platen, and when the keyl'ever is released the bar will he returned to normal position by the action of theusual springs; In normal position, Fig. 2, the upper ends of the typo-bars bear against a type-rest M carried by supporting arms N secured at their lower ends to the bracket plate I) l). I The bearing plates E, in which the typehar axles are ournalod, are inclined up wardly and roarwardly in front ol the platen, being secured to the inclined extension l)"of the supporting bracket plate D; as hereto fore stated, and are grouped in relation to ward side, at an angle of about degrees, instead of striking either directly in front or directly upon the top of the same, as heretofor'e,and at the same time brings the pivots of the type-bars to substantially the same plane as that in which the types strike the platen, so that when a type-bar is swung rearward and downward. until its type strikes the platen the bar lies in approximately the plane occupied by the pivotsol' all of the bars. The arrangement under which the types strike the platen upon its upper forward side, instead of directly in'front or directly on top of it, brings the printing line into a plane at right angles to the line ofyision, where it can be more readily and distinctly seen than. directly in front or directly on top of the platen. Still another purpose served by the arrangement of the bearing plates referred to is that it facilitates a proper connection of the upper and rearward ty e-bars in each group with their operating eylevers located out of the vertical planes of such bars. The lower and forward typebars in each group are connected by their rods K with the key-levers most directlybeneath them, while the upper rearward bars of each group are connected with the key-levers at one side (if their vertical planes, and their rods K therefore extend downwardly and outwardly from their points of connection with the ty e-bars to their points of connection with tie key-levets, and the inclination and grouping of the bearing plates Ere'lerred to enables the rods K connecting the upper and rearward typebars with their key-levers to be located in approximately the planes of movements of the type=bars and to therefore transmit the force applied to the key-levers more d i' rectly and with less resistance to the typebars than ii the bearing plates were located in a horizontal plane and. grouped otherwise than as shown.

The bodies of the typebarsF are fiat (being conveniently struck from sheet steel) and they are secured to their axles H at right angles to the latter, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. They are, or may, be, also perfectly straight (preferably slightly tapering in width toward their outer ends) but in the present instance, in order to enable the plates E to be located as close together as possible, several of the longer bars at the forward ends of the two outside groups are sulliciently curve-d (in their plane of movement) to enable them to strike over the rear ends of the two inner plates E when operated, as

indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, without coming in contact with said plates. In respect, however, to their axles H at right angles to the latter all of the type-bars F are straight in the sense that their bodies extend in straight lines il'Ulll their axles to their common point their connection with' of convergence, as shown in Fig. 3, and it is in this sense that the word straight is used in referring to thetype-bars in the annexed claims. Being straight in this respect it is not material whether more or less of them be curved in their planes of movement, as in the case of the longer bars of the outer sets above referred to. v

To permit the straight type-bars to converge at a common point, as indicated in Fig. 3, and at the same time to be secured to their respective axles H. at right angles to the latter, said axles in each grou are arranged in non-parallel order, or at sight angles to each other, their outer ends being se )arated from each other slightly more than t ieir inner ends, the transverse bores in the plates E,in which the axles have their bearings, being arranged as shown in Fig. 5 for this pur )ose. The extreme outer ends of the type-- ars F are bent at angles to the bodies of the bars, the angles of the bent portions to the bodies so varying, accordin to the difi'erent positions of the bars, that when a bar is operated and its outer end thrown rearward and downward against the platen its bent end will lie at right angles to the axis of the platen, as shown. in F ig. 3. To these bent extremities of the bars F are secured the typeblocks 1, each bearing a lower and up per case character, the former being adapted to strike the platen whenthe platen is in its forward or normal position, and the latter when the platen is in its shifted or upper case position.

Each bearing plate 1) is provided along its inner edge with a series of notches or oll sets G, one for each type-bar F. The inner or side faces of those notches or oll'sets G on each plate stand at a slight angle to each other and converge toward the common. point of convergenceof the type-bars F, Fig. 3. The transverse bores in each plate E, in which the axles il of the type-bars have their bearing, extend at right angles from these side faces of the respective notches G through the plate E to its outer edge, Where they terminate in short flat surfaces formed upon the outer edge of the plate parallel with the side faces of the respective notches G upon the inner edge of' the plate. The bores in the plates E are countersunk at their opposite ends to receive conical bearings upon the axles H. These bearings a at the inner ends of the axles H are formed directly upon the axles, and their outer flat surfaces form shoulders againstwhich the ends of the typebars are riveted by hannnering down the reduced end of the axle H which projects beyond the bearing a through an eye formed in. the end of the type-bar, Fig. 6. The op )0- site or outer ends of the axles H are threaded to receive conical bearing nuts I) and lock nuts c. The bodies of the transverse bores in the )lates E are ol" slightly larger diameter than. the ll, so that the axles do not bear against the Walls of the'bores but have their bearings at the opposite ends of the bores only, where the cones a b engage the countersunk ends of the bores.

Byloosening the lock nuts 0 upon the outer ends of the axles the bearings may be adjusted as desired by turning the cones b, and be then securely maintained in adjusted position by tightening up the lock nuts 0.

In the present instance the plates E are tapered from their forward towarditheir rear ends, so that the transverse bores and typebar axles gradually decrease in length to Ward the rear ends of the plates. The desideratum is to give the type-bar axle a bearing longest axles, having their bearings the greatest dis ance apart, and the lengths of the type-bars gradually decrease the lengths of their axles and the distance between. the bearings of such axles are gradually dc creased, so that the ratio of length of bearing to length of bar is substantially maintained,

. and the shorter axles oi the shorter type-bars serve to preserve the alincment of these bars as efiiciently do the longer axles of the longer bars. The shape given the plates E in the drawings permits a somewhat more compact arrangement of them than if their rear ends were as wide as their 'l'ront ends.

Under the construction and m'iangcment of parts above described a maximum. number of type hars are compactly arranged in a minimum. space consistently with perfect clearance of the bars and non-iiitcrlcrcncc of them with sach other durin rapid operation of the machine; they: are normally out of the line of vision from the operatives eyes to the printinglinc upon the platen and therefore do not obstruct his view of the writing as it proceeds lcttcr-hy-letter; their pivotal supports have wide hearings [)ll3];(Yl'tl0ll2'it0 to the lengths ol'the bars themselves, so that a given amount of play in the bearings oi the bars permits a minimum amount of play of the bars themselves, and conse-' quen-tly interferes to a mininnim degree n ith the' proper alinement of the types; their bearings are of such form. as to produce slight friction and to resist, wear, while the provision made enables them to be perfectly adjusted in the first instance and to be readily readjusted to take up such wear as may ocour; the type-bars themselves, consisting of thin straight bars simply bent at one extremity, maybe struck from sheet steel and be of minimum Weightin proportion to n'iaxiinum strength and rigidity; while the employment of the separate bearing plates E in conjunction with the type-bars and bearings de scribed enables these parts to be assembled independently of the remainder of the machine, and sim ')llfiGS and reduces the cost of production of t ese elements of a typewriter.

While it is highly desirable, both from a manufacturing and an operating standpoint, to employ straight type-bars secured to nonparallel axles at right-angles thereto and converging to a common point, as herein described, nevertheless, some of the advantages of my invention may be attained by the employment of parallel axles and type-bars secured thereto and so curved or bent as to cause theirtvpes to strike at a common point and in another pending application filed by me on April 6, 1897, and bearing-Serial Numher631,()37, l have illustrated -and described the employment of such type-bars and par-" allcl I llaving described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a typcwriting machine, the combination of the bearing plates located in front of the platen. and provided with the transverse bores having countersunk ends, the typebar axles extending through said bores and provided at their opposite'ends with hearing cones fitting the countersunk ends of the bores, said cones at one end of the axles being adjustable thereon, the type-bars secured to the opposite ends of the axles, and key-levers and connections for operating the type-bars, substantially as described.

2. in a typewri ting machine, the conibination oi the bearing plates located in front of the platen and. provided with the transverse bores having countersunk ends, the type bar axles extending through said bores and provided at their opposite ends with cones lltting the coui'itersunk ends of the bores, said cones at one end of the axles being screwed upon the ends of the axles and held in position by lock nuts, the type-bars se cured-to the opposite ends ofthe axles, and key-levers and connections for operating said type-bars, substantially as described.

3. in a typewritin machine, the combination of the bearing pfiates located in front of the platen and provided with the transverse non-parallel bores, the type-bar axles ex tending through said bores and having their hearings in said plates, the straight typebars secured to the ends of said axles at right-angles thereto and converging toward a common point, and key-levers and connections for o ierating said type-bars, substantially as described.

e. in a typc'writing machine, the combination oi the hearing plates located in front of the platen'and provided with the transverse non-parallel bores, the typc-bar axles extending through said bores and having their ll U .the. countersunk ends of said bores,

bearings in said plates, the type-bars secured tothe ends of said axles at right-angles thereto and having straightbodies provided with angular extremities for the reception of doubldicase characters, and key-levers and connections for operating said type bars, substantially as described.

In a typewriting machine, the combination of the bearing plates located in front of the platen and provided with the transverse non-parallel bores having countersunk ends, the type-bar axles extending through said bores and provided with cones fitting the countersunk ends of the bores, said cones at one end of the axlesbeingadjustablethereon, the straight type-bars secured to the opposite. end's'of said axles at right-angles thereto, and key-levers and connections for operating said type-bars, substantially as described.

(J. in a typewriting machine, the combination of the bearing plates located in front of the platen and provided with the transverse non-parallel bores having countersunk ends, the type-bar axles extending through said bores and provided with cones fitting the countersunk ends of the bores, said cones at one end of the axles being screwed upon the ends of the axles and secured by lock nuts, the straight type-bars secured to the opposite ends of said axles at right-angles thereto, and key-levers and connections for operating said type-bars, substantially as described.

7. in a typewriting machine, the combination of the bearing plates located in front of the platen and provided with the non-parallel transverse bores having countersunk ends, the typebar axles extending through said bores and provided with cones fitting 4 said cones at one end of the axles being adjustable thereon, the type-bars secured to the opposite ends of said axles at right-angles thereto and having straight bodies provided with angular extremities to receive upper and lower case characters, and key-levers and connections for operating said typebars, substantially as described.

8. In atypewriting machine, the combination of the bearing plates located in front of the platen and provided with the non-parallel transverse bores having countersunk ends, the type-bar axles extending through said bores and provided with cones fitting the countersunk ends of said bores, said cones at one end of the axles being screwed upon the ends of the axles and held by lock nuts, the type-bars secured to the. opposite ends of said axles at right-angles thereto and having the straight bodies provided with angular extremities to receiv upper and lowerrasc characters, and keydevers and conneetion for operating said t \,*pebars, substantiai as described.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a series of st ts or groups of type-bar axles mounted in an inclined plane in front of the platen and provided at their opposite ends with cones fitting in concshaped bearings, the cones at one end of the axles being adjustable thereon, type-bars secured to the opposite ends of said. axles, and key-levers and connections for operating said type-bars, substantially as described.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a series of sets or groups of typebar axles mounted in an inclined plane in front of the platen and provided at their opposite ends with cones fitting in cone-shaped bearings, the cones at one end of the axles being screwed upon the axles and held by lock-nuts, typc-bars secured to the opposite ends of said axles, and key-levers and connections for operating said type-bars, substantially as described.

1]. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a series of sets or groups of non-pan allel type-bar axles mounted in front of the platen in a plane inclined downwardly and forwardly from the printing point, straight type-bars secured to the ends of said axles and converging toward. a common poi t, and key levers and connections for operating said type-bars, substantially as described.

12. In. a typewriting machine, the combi nation of a series ofsets or groups of non-pan allel type-bar axles mounted in front of the platen in. a plane inclined downwardly and forwardly from the printing point, type-bars secured to the ends of said axles at right angles thereto and having straight bodies with angular extremities to receive upper and lower case characters, and keylevers and con.-. nections for operating said. type-bars, substantially as described.

13. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a series of sets or groups of non-parallel type-bar axles mounted in front of the platen. .in a plane inclined.downwardly and forwardly from the printing point and provided at their opposite ends with cones fitting in suitable bearings, the cones at one end of the axles being adjustable thereon, straight type-bars secured to the ends of said axles and converging toward a common point, and key levers and connections for operating said type-bars, substantially as described. I

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a series of sets or groups of non-parallel type-bar axles mounted in front of the, platen in a plane inclined downwardly and forwardly from the printing point and provided at their opposite ends with cones fitting in suit able bearings, the cones at one end of the. axles being adjustable thereon, typebars seemed to the ends of said axles at right angles thereto and having straight bodies with angular extremities to receive upper and lowercase characters, and keylevers and connections for operating saidtype-bars sub- "stantially as described.

extending through said bores and their bearings in Fsecured' nation 'of the .15 3 "bar axlesH' extending through said bores and having their bearings in the plates E, the

1 levers and type-bars, substantia 1y as described.

15. In a t nation of the the transverse In a typewriting machine, the-combiearing plates E provided with the non-parallel transverse bores, the typestraight. type-bars F secured to the ends of the type-bar axles axles H "at right angles thereto and converging toward a common point, the key-levers L, and the rods K connecting said levers and type-bars, substantially as described.

17. In a typewriting machine, the combination of the bearing plates E having the non-parallel transverse bores, the type-bar axles H" extending through said bores and I t e-blocks 'sta'ntially as described. 3

, one edge with the notches or o havingtheir bearings in the plates E, the t e-b'ars F secured to the ends of the axles at right-angles thereto and having straight bodies conver 'ng toward a common point, with. the an arextremities to receivethe the key-levers L, and the rods connecting said levers and type-bars, sub- H 18v In a ty 'ewritin machine, the combination of the caring p ates E f{provided along sets G and havmg the transverse bores extending through the plates from the side faces of thenotches G, said bores having countersunk ends, the type-bar axles H extending throu h said bores a'ndprovlded with the cones a fitting the countersunk ends of said bores, the cones b being. screwed u on the ends of the axles, and

the type-bars .secured to the opposite ends of said axles, substantially as described.

19. In a typewriting machine, the c0mbi.

. nation of the bearing plates E- provided I said bores and provided with the cones a, b 7

alon one edge with the notches or offsets G and aving the transverse bores extending through. the plates from the side faces of the notches Gr, said bores having countersunk ends, the type-bar axles H extending through type-bar axles H extending throu bores and provided with the cones a bodies convergin fitting the countersunk ends of said bores, the cones 5 being screwed upon the ends of the axles and held by lock nuts 0, and the type-bars F secured to the opposite ends of said axles, substantially as described.

20. In a typewriting machine, the combination of the bearing plates E provided along one edge with the notches or-ofiset-s G having non-parallel side faces converging toward a common point, said plates being also provided with the non parallel transverse bores extending at right angles from said side faces of the notches G through said plates and having countersunk ends, the

H extending throu h said bores and provided with the cones a fitting the countersunk ends of the bores, the cones I) being screwed upon the ends of the axles, and the straight type-bars F secured to the opposite ends of the axles H at right angles thereto and converging toward a common point, substantially as described.

21. In a typewriting machine, the combination of the bearin notches E provided along one edge with the notches or offsets-G having non-parallel side faces converging toward a common point, said plates bei' also provided with the non-parallel tramso A verse bores extending at right angles from said side faces of the plates and having countersunk en s, the h said fitting ghte countersunk ends of the bores, the'cones em and he dby lock nuts 0, and the t e-bars F secured to the opposite ends of sai axles at right-angles thereto and having straight and provided wit angular extremities to receivethe type blocks I, substantially as described.

toward a common polnt,

notches G throu h'said I screwed upon the ends of the axles 22. In a typewriting machine, the combination of the lnclined'sup orting late D located, in front of the p aten, t e bearing lates Esecured thereto, the type-bar axles l I journaled in said plates, the type-bars F secured to said axles, the ke -levers L, and the rods K connecting said evers'with the type-bars, substantially as described.

HARVEY'L. FISHER. Witnesses:

EDWARD REOTOR, BESSIE SHxDnoL'r. 

